Common Name: TEREPHTHALIC ACID HAZARD SUMMARY

Common Name: TEREPHTHALIC ACID

CAS Number: 100-21-0 RTK Substance number: 2901 DOT Number: None Date: April 2000 ------

HAZARD SUMMARY WORKPLACE EXPOSURE LIMITS * Terephthalic Acid can affect you when breathed in. ACGIH: The recommended airborne exposure limit is * Contact can irritate the skin and eyes. 10 mg/m3 averaged over an 8-hour workshift. * Breathing Terephthalic Acid can irritate the nose, throat and lungs causing coughing, wheezing and/or shortness of WAYS OF REDUCING EXPOSURE breath. * Where possible, enclose operations and use local exhaust * Repeated exposure to Terephthalic Acid may affect the ventilation at the site of chemical release. If local exhaust kidneys. ventilation or enclosure is not used, respirators should be worn. IDENTIFICATION * Wear protective work clothing. Terephthalic Acid is a sand-like white powder. It is used as * Wash thoroughly immediately after exposure to a reagent to neutralize alkali in wool, as an additive to poultry Terephthalic Acid and at the end of the workshift. feeds, and to increase the effectiveness of certain antibiotics. * Post hazard and warning information in the work area. In addition, as part of an ongoing education and training REASON FOR CITATION effort, communicate all information on the health and * Terephthalic Acid is on the Hazardous Substance List safety hazards of Terephthalic Acid to potentially because it is cited by ACGIH, NFPA and EPA. exposed workers. * Definitions are provided on page 5.

HOW TO DETERMINE IF YOU ARE BEING EXPOSED The New Jersey Right to Know Act requires most employers to label chemicals in the workplace and requires public employers to provide their employees with information and training concerning chemical hazards and controls. The federal OSHA Hazard Communication Standard, 1910.1200, requires private employers to provide similar training and information to their employees.

* Exposure to hazardous substances should be routinely evaluated. This may include collecting personal and area air samples. You can obtain copies of sampling results from your employer. You have a legal right to this information under OSHA 1910.1020. * If you think you are experiencing any work-related health problems, see a doctor trained to recognize occupational diseases. Take this Fact Sheet with you.

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This Fact Sheet is a summary source of information of all WORKPLACE CONTROLS AND PRACTICES potential and most severe health hazards that may result from exposure. Duration of exposure, concentration of the Unless a less toxic chemical can be substituted for a hazardous substance and other factors will affect your susceptibility to substance, ENGINEERING CONTROLS are the most any of the potential effects described below. effective way of reducing exposure. The best protection is to ------enclose operations and/or provide local exhaust ventilation at the site of chemical release. Isolating operations can also HEALTH HAZARD INFORMATION reduce exposure. Using respirators or protective equipment is less effective than the controls mentioned above, but is Acute Health Effects sometimes necessary. The following acute (short-term) health effects may occur immediately or shortly after exposure to Terephthalic Acid: In evaluating the controls present in your workplace, consider: (1) how hazardous the substance is, (2) how much of the * Contact can irritate the skin and eyes. substance is released into the workplace and (3) whether * Breathing Terephthalic Acid can irritate the nose, throat harmful skin or eye contact could occur. Special controls and lungs causing coughing, wheezing and/or shortness of should be in place for highly toxic chemicals or when breath. significant skin, eye, or breathing exposures are possible.

Chronic Health Effects In addition, the following control is recommended: The following chronic (long-term) health effects can occur at some time after exposure to Terephthalic Acid and can last * Where possible, automatically transfer Terephthalic Acid for months or years: from drums or other storage containers to process containers. Cancer Hazard * According to the information presently available to the Good WORK PRACTICES can help to reduce hazardous New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, exposures. The following work practices are recommended: Terephthalic Acid has not been tested for its ability to cause cancer in animals. * Workers whose clothing has been contaminated by Terephthalic Acid should change into clean clothing Reproductive Hazard promptly. * According to the information presently available to the * Do not take contaminated work clothes home. Family New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, members could be exposed. * Contaminated work clothes should be laundered by Terephthalic Acid has not been tested for its ability to individuals who have been informed of the hazards of affect reproduction. exposure to Terephthalic Acid. * Eye wash fountains should be provided in the immediate Other Long-Term Effects work area for emergency use. * Repeated exposure to Terephthalic Acid may affect the * If there is the possibility of skin exposure, emergency kidneys. shower facilities should be provided. * On skin contact with Terephthalic Acid, immediately MEDICAL wash or shower to remove the chemical. At the end of the workshift, wash any areas of the body that may have Medical Testing contacted Terephthalic Acid, whether or not known skin If symptoms develop or overexposure is suspected, the contact has occurred. following are recommended: * Do not eat, smoke, or drink where Terephthalic Acid is handled, processed, or stored, since the chemical can be * Kidney function tests. swallowed. Wash hands carefully before eating, drinking, smoking, or using the toilet. Any evaluation should include a careful history of past and * Use a vacuum or a wet method to reduce dust during present symptoms with an exam. Medical tests that look for clean-up. DO NOT DRY SWEEP. damage already done are not a substitute for controlling exposure.

Request copies of your medical testing. You have a legal right to this information under OSHA 1910.1020.

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PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT * Be sure to consider all potential exposures in your workplace. You may need a combination of filters, WORKPLACE CONTROLS ARE BETTER THAN prefilters or cartridges to protect against different forms of PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT. However, for a chemical (such as vapor and mist) or against a mixture of some jobs (such as outside work, confined space entry, jobs chemicals. done only once in a while, or jobs done while workplace * Where the potential for high exposure exists, use a controls are being installed), personal protective equipment MSHA/NIOSH approved supplied-air respirator with a full may be appropriate. facepiece operated in a pressure-demand or other positive- pressure mode. For increased protection use in OSHA 1910.132 requires employers to determine the combination with an auxiliary self-contained breathing appropriate personal protective equipment for each hazard and apparatus operated in a pressure-demand or other positive- to train employees on how and when to use protective pressure mode. equipment. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS The following recommendations are only guidelines and may not apply to every situation. Q: If I have acute health effects, will I later get chronic health effects? Clothing A: Not always. Most chronic (long-term) effects result * Avoid skin contact with Terephthalic Acid. Wear acid- from repeated exposures to a chemical. resistant gloves and clothing. Safety equipment suppliers/ manufacturers can provide recommendations on the most Q: Can I get long-term effects without ever having short- protective glove/clothing material for your operation. term effects? * All protective clothing (suits, gloves, footwear, headgear) A: Yes, because long-term effects can occur from repeated should be clean, available each day, and put on before exposures to a chemical at levels not high enough to work. make you immediately sick.

Eye Protection Q: What are my chances of getting sick when I have been * Wear impact resistant eye protection with side shields or exposed to chemicals? goggles. A: The likelihood of becoming sick from chemicals is * Wear a face shield along with goggles when working with increased as the amount of exposure increases. This is corrosive, highly irritating or toxic substances. determined by the length of time and the amount of material to which someone is exposed. Respiratory Protection IMPROPER USE OF RESPIRATORS IS DANGEROUS. Q: When are higher exposures more likely? Such equipment should only be used if the employer has a A: Conditions which increase risk of exposure include dust written program that takes into account workplace conditions, releasing operations (grinding, mixing, blasting, requirements for worker training, respirator fit testing and dumping, etc.), other physical and mechanical processes medical exams, as described in OSHA 1910.134. (heating, pouring, spraying, spills and evaporation from large surface areas such as open containers), and * NIOSH has established new testing and certification "confined space" exposures (working inside vats, requirements for negative pressure, air purifying, reactors, boilers, small rooms, etc.). particulate filter and filtering facepiece respirators. The filter classifications of dust/mist/fume, paint spray or Q: Is the risk of getting sick higher for workers than for pesticide prefilters, and filters for radon daughters, have community residents? been replaced with the N, R, and P series. Each series has A: Yes. Exposures in the community, except possibly in three levels of filtering efficiency: 95%, 99%, and 99.9%. cases of fires or spills, are usually much lower than those Check with your safety equipment supplier or your found in the workplace. However, people in the respirator manufacturer to determine which respirator is community may be exposed to contaminated water as appropriate for your facility. well as to chemicals in the air over long periods. This * If while wearing a filter or cartridge respirator you can may be a problem for children or people who are already smell, taste, or otherwise detect Terephthalic Acid, or if ill. while wearing particulate filters abnormal resistance to breathing is experienced, or eye irritation occurs while wearing a full facepiece respirator, leave the area immediately. Check to make sure the respirator-to-face seal is still good. If it is, replace the filter or cartridge. If the seal is no longer good, you may need a new respirator. TEREPHTHALIC ACID page 4 of 6

------The following information is available from:

New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services Occupational Health Service PO Box 360 Trenton, NJ 08625-0360 (609) 984-1863 (609) 292-5677 (fax)

Web address: http://www.state.nj.us/health/eoh/odisweb/

Industrial Hygiene Information Industrial hygienists are available to answer your questions regarding the control of chemical exposures using exhaust ventilation, special work practices, good housekeeping, good hygiene practices, and personal protective equipment including respirators. In addition, they can help to interpret the results of industrial hygiene survey data.

Medical Evaluation If you think you are becoming sick because of exposure to chemicals at your workplace, you may call personnel at the Department of Health and Senior Services, Occupational Health Service, who can help you find the information you need.

Public Presentations Presentations and educational programs on occupational health or the Right to Know Act can be organized for labor unions, trade associations and other groups.

Right to Know Information Resources The Right to Know Infoline (609) 984-2202 can answer questions about the identity and potential health effects of chemicals, list of educational materials in occupational health, references used to prepare the Fact Sheets, preparation of the Right to Know survey, education and training programs, labeling requirements, and general information regarding the Right to Know Act. Violations of the law should be reported to (609) 984-2202. ------TEREPHTHALIC ACID page 5 of 6

DEFINITIONS

ACGIH is the American Conference of Governmental A mutagen is a substance that causes mutations. A mutation Industrial Hygienists. It recommends upper limits (called is a change in the genetic material in a body cell. Mutations TLVs) for exposure to workplace chemicals. can lead to birth defects, miscarriages, or cancer.

A carcinogen is a substance that causes cancer. NAERG is the North American Emergency Response Guidebook. It was jointly developed by Transport Canada, The CAS number is assigned by the Chemical Abstracts the United States Department of Transportation and the Service to identify a specific chemical. Secretariat of Communications and Transportation of Mexico. It is a guide for first responders to quickly identify the specific A combustible substance is a solid, liquid or gas that will or generic hazards of material involved in a transportation burn. incident, and to protect themselves and the general public during the initial response phase of the incident. A corrosive substance is a gas, liquid or solid that causes irreversible damage to human tissue or containers. NCI is the National Cancer Institute, a federal agency that determines the cancer-causing potential of chemicals. DEP is the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. NFPA is the National Fire Protection Association. It classifies substances according to their fire and explosion DOT is the Department of Transportation, the federal agency hazard. that regulates the transportation of chemicals. NIOSH is the National Institute for Occupational Safety and EPA is the Environmental Protection Agency, the federal Health. It tests equipment, evaluates and approves respirators, agency responsible for regulating environmental hazards. conducts studies of workplace hazards, and proposes standards to OSHA. A fetus is an unborn human or animal. NTP is the National Toxicology Program which tests A flammable substance is a solid, liquid, vapor or gas that chemicals and reviews evidence for cancer. will ignite easily and burn rapidly. OSHA is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, The flash point is the temperature at which a liquid or solid which adopts and enforces health and safety standards. gives off vapor that can form a flammable mixture with air. PEOSHA is the Public Employees Occupational Safety and HHAG is the Human Health Assessment Group of the federal Health Act, a state law which sets PELs for New Jersey public EPA. employees.

IARC is the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a ppm means parts of a substance per million parts of air. It is a scientific group that classifies chemicals according to their measure of concentration by volume in air. cancer-causing potential. A reactive substance is a solid, liquid or gas that releases A miscible substance is a liquid or gas that will evenly energy under certain conditions. dissolve in another. A teratogen is a substance that causes birth defects by mg/m3 means milligrams of a chemical in a cubic meter of damaging the fetus. air. It is a measure of concentration (weight/volume). TLV is the Threshold Limit Value, the workplace exposure MSHA is the Mine Safety and Health Administration, the limit recommended by ACGIH. federal agency that regulates mining. It also evaluates and approves respirators. The vapor pressure is a measure of how readily a liquid or a solid mixes with air at its surface. A higher vapor pressure indicates a higher concentration of the substance in air and therefore increases the likelihood of breathing it in.

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Common Name: TEREPHTHALIC ACID HANDLING AND STORAGE DOT Number: None NAERG Code: None * Prior to working with Terephthalic Acid you should be CAS Number: 100-21-0 trained on its proper handling and storage. * Terephthalic Acid is not compatible with OXIDIZING Hazard rating NJDHSS NFPA AGENTS (such as PERCHLORATES, PEROXIDES, PERMANGANATES, CHLORATES, NITRATES, FLAMMABILITY - 1 CHLORINE, BROMINE and FLUORINE); STRONG REACTIVITY - 0 BASES (such as SODIUM HYDROXIDE and POISONOUS GASES ARE PRODUCED IN FIRE POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE); REDUCING AGENTS; and STRONG ACIDS (such as HYDROCHLORIC, SULFURIC and NITRIC). Hazard Rating Key: 0=minimal; 1=slight; 2=moderate; * Terephthalic Acid can explode during preparation. 3=serious; 4=severe * Store in tightly closed containers in a cool, well-ventilated

FIRE HAZARDS area.

* Terephthalic Acid may burn, but does not readily ignite. FIRST AID * Use dry chemical, CO2, water spray, alcohol or polymer foam extinguishers. In NJ, for POISON INFORMATION call 1-800-764-7661 * POISONOUS GASES ARE PRODUCED IN FIRE. * If employees are expected to fight fires, they must be trained Eye Contact and equipped as stated in OSHA 1910.156. * Immediately flush with large amounts of water for at least 15 minutes, occasionally lifting upper and lower lids. SPILLS AND EMERGENCIES Skin Contact If Terephthalic Acid is spilled, take the following steps: * Remove contaminated clothing. Wash contaminated skin with soap and water. * Evacuate persons not wearing protective equipment from area of spill until clean-up is complete. Breathing * Remove all ignition sources. * Remove the person from exposure. * Collect powdered material in the most convenient and safe * Begin rescue breathing (using universal precautions) if manner and deposit in sealed containers. breathing has stopped and CPR if heart action has stopped. * Ventilate and wash area after clean-up is complete. * Transfer promptly to a medical facility. * It may be necessary to contain and dispose of Terephthalic Acid as a HAZARDOUS WASTE. Contact your PHYSICAL DATA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) or your regional office of the federal Environmental Protection -6 o o Agency (EPA) for specific recommendations. Vapor Pressure: 9.20 x 10 mm Hg at 77 F (25 C) * If employees are required to clean-up spills, they must be Flash Point: 500oF (260oC) properly trained and equipped. OSHA 1910.120(q) may be Water Solubility: Insoluble applicable. OTHER COMMONLY USED NAMES ======FOR LARGE SPILLS AND FIRES immediately call your fire Chemical Name: department. You can request emergency information from the 1,4-Benzenedicarboxylic Acid following: Other Names: CHEMTREC: (800) 424-9300 TPA; p-Phthalic Acid; 4 Carboxybenzoic Acid NJDEP HOTLINE: (609) 292-7172 ------======Not intended to be copied and sold for commercial purposes. ------NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SENIOR SERVICES Right to Know Program PO Box 368, Trenton, NJ 08625-0368 (609) 984-2202 ------